The invention relates to an apparatus for the storage of material in rod form and is particularly adapted for an automatic, program-controlled, supply of material to a cutting machine.
Apparatus of this type comprises a plurality of shelving units arranged side by side, transversely of the longitudinal direction of the material to be stored on the shelving units. Each shelving unit includes shelving compartments formed of carrier arms and arranged one above the other. Each shelving compartment is intended to have one kind of material and diameter stored therein. A crane bridge is provided which is moveable over the shelving units, transversely of the gangways between the shelving units and vertically in the gangways with means for taking the material from the shelving compartments, transporting it and redepositing it in the shelving unit compartments. A rollway occupying the position of one shelving compartment and forming a substantially horizontal support, is drivable in both directions of rotation for feeding the material, deposited on it, to the cutting machine and for returning the material from the cutting machine after it has been worked on. The cutting machine is arranged in the longitudinal direction of the material to be cut outside the region occupied by the shelving units. The rollway is displaceable, for material exchange, vertically downwards out of its position for feeding the material to the cutting machine. Over the shelving components above the rollway a space for a further shelving component is left free to permit the exchange of material. The crane bridge is moveable between the carrier arms of the shelving compartments and the rollers of the rollway to take up material.
Such an apparatus is known from German Pat. No. 2,925,469. There the crane bridge, having a means for taking up the material, holds the material next to be worked on ready in the free compartment above the rollway, while the previously worked material is laid, by lowering of the rollway, onto a transfer truck which then brings the material in the horizontal direction into the region of the gangway. The rollway then returns to its normal working position where the material next to be worked on is loaded on the rollway by the crane bridge. Thereafter, the rollway feeds the material to the cutting machine for working, while the crane bridge, moving downwards in the shelving gangway, takes up the previously worked material from the transfer truck and returns it to its storage position, in order then to bring the material which is now to be worked next and hold it ready again in the free compartment situated above the rollway.
The above arrangement substantially reduces the change times between the worked material and the material to be worked on next, as compared to the change times required therebefore. At the same time the apparatus is lightweight and simple to install. Although the prior art has, to a degree, succeeded, especially in improving the change times, nonetheless the prior art requires additional apparatus which require additional space, not only beneath the rollway, but also in the direction towards the shelving gangway, and are correspondingly expensive to construct.